GAIL's Potato and Rosemary Sourdough Loaf, 650g

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We caramelise whole cloves of garlic and fold the dough around them to create a richly perfumed loaf. Perhaps not the best choice for a first date, but otherwise a brilliant accompaniment to soups and stews - and an absolute winner when it comes to cheese on toast. Since 2005 the bakery sector has gained momentum, with Denmark’s Ole & Steen, French import Paul, Brussels-born Le Pain Quotidien and even Greggs expanding at pace across the high street. Molnar is unphased, and believes there is still a niche for Gail’s bread on the high street. I steamed my oven in my usual way, described here in my post on how to steam your home oven for baking.

Score the top of the dough with a razor or lame. Place the dough on a piece of parchment paper for best results and transfer to the dutch oven. Careful it is hot. Fresh rosemary– All you need is a little bit to really add so much delicious flavor. Can also substitute with dried rosemary. Tools you may need to make this recipe: I hope we continue to grow up and learn. We have almost one million transactions a month now. That’s a level of responsibility I never thought I would have. I have a glimpse from talking to world class bakers on what the next 10 to 15 years in baking could look like and it’s exciting. There’s some smart people wanting to make better bread. Add the called for levain and about half of the reserved water to the mixing bowl. Mix until well combined.

Baked fresh and never with any preservatives, we recommend storing GAIL’s sourdough in a cool, dry place. To keep the bread for longer, slice immediately and store in an airtight container in the freezer, taking out slices and toasting, as desired. Shape into a ball by gently spinning it toward you in a circular motion. This tension really helps give it that oven spring and rise.

In a large mixing bowl, combine warm water, flour, sourdough starter, and salt with your hands, a wooden spoon, or dough whisk. Allow the dough to rest for 30 minutes for the water to hydrate the flour.This process is called autolyse, which allows all the flours to become hydrated. After baking, follow my guide to storing sourdough bread to keep it fresh for the next week (or freeze for longer!). Conclusion In a large mixing bowl, combine warm water, flour, sourdough starter, and salt with your hands, a wooden spoon, or dough whisk. The mother of all breads. This is our signature loaf, made long, slow and lovingly from 15-year-old wild yeast starters. A little chewy, a little tangy, with a dark, burnished crust. We bake it in 500g and 2kg loaves. Also available at Waitrose and on Ocado. Mix flour and water (reserve 100g water for the mix, later) in a bowl until all dry bits are hydrated. Cover the bowl and store it somewhere warm near the levain for 1 hour. 4. Mix – 12:30 p.m.Once the oven is preheated, roast the potatoes on the baking sheet for 45 minutes to 1 hour, rotating and flipping them halfway. Test the potatoes at 45 minutes to see if they are done by inserting a knife into the center. The knife should slide easily and not encounter any tough spots. I chose to puree the potatoes in my blender for a smooth consistency (and a few chunks) but you could also dice the potatoes if you’d like to have bits of potato very evident in the crumb. Additionally, you could wash the potatoes and leave the skin on for added texture and interest. Early trials of this recipe using thyme instead of rosemary Vitals Total Dough Weight The original idea was Bado’s, following a discussion with her flatmate about food waste and how edible bread could be re-used in a new product. Now 1,000 people work in the company’s north London HQ (‘the mothership’), which supplies all Gail’s bakeries, as well as the wholesale clients such as restaurants, airport lounges and boxes at Wembley stadium.

The most accurate way to get the best loaves of bread each time is to measure your ingredients with a kitchen scale. But the project didn’t last. “It started and ended on a high,” says Molnar. “I admire people who successfully run restaurants over many years, it’s tough. The restaurant was an experiment but it wasn’t something I had the time or energy to focus on in the end, so it was better to focus on something we knew how to do.”

Transfer to floured banneton or a bowl lined with a tea towel (I like to use rice flour). Another option is an oiled bowl. Cover with plastic and proof for 12-15 hours in the refrigerator. Going forward, Gail’s is looking to grow, initially within its south east heartland, though its wholesale arm has a bakery in Manchester which could support openings in the north of England. As it reaches its 15th birthday, what could the company look like at 30? On Thursday the first 100 loaves of”waste bread” – baked in the early hours – will go on sale in 10 selected branches of Gail’s Bakery, before being rolled out across the rest of its 43-strong chain in London and the south-east. Roughly one-third of each baked 750g loaf consists of leftover bread and the chain calculates that the 100 loaves being baked daily will save approximately 10kg of bread being wasted per day.